That Funny Way of His
by Skuns
Summary: He may not be perfect but he still loves her just the same, even if he has a funny way of showing it.
1. Chapter 1

That Funny Way of His

Protection

The racket started out quiet enough.

"Caw, caw..."

Eventually, their calls turned more forceful.

"Caw! Caw, caw!"

Finally, the crescendo climaxed into a full on frenzy of raucous bird chorus that probably could have awakened the dead.

"CAW! CAW! C-CAW, CAW!"

Unbelievable.

Robin slowly opened her eyes to the grey light that gently filled her spacious tent. The air was cool and a slight breeze crept its way in through the tiny crack in the tent flap. It was far too early to be dealing with this.

The cacophony outside continued to berate her delicate, early morning hearing as she begrudgingly flung the layers of blankets to the side and forced herself out of bed, throwing on her heavy, yet chilled coat. She also picked up a simple wind tome in case the infernal beasts insisted on a fight.

Pulling her coat tight around her small frame, she stepped out into the grey dawn and was not at all surprised when her closest neighbors also emerged from the warm confines of their own tents. She glared up at the line of seven crows that sat casually atop the canvas of her tent. A few more were scattered around the base and flapped away from her when she aimed a kick at them.

"Who the hell do these damn birds think they are? Don't they know I'm trying to sleep?" yawned Sully as she stretched her way over to Robins side. The red-headed knight noticed the green tome in Robins arm and smiled maliciously. "Gonna use that, yeah?"

"Thinking about it..." Robin trailed off. She watched as two of the bigger birds pecked at a smaller one, compelling the tiny crow to take flight from the top of the tent and much to her surprise, down to her shoulder. She whirled about with a shriek and swung her tome at the creature as Sully stared wide eyed.

"Ha! I think they like you!" she chuckled. Robin continued to dance about wildly, scaring the crow away from her. Having had enough from the feathery little nightmares that roosted on her makeshift home, Robin flipped open the book and swiftly sent a gust of wind up at them, scattering each and every one of them into the sky.

…

The morning chill gradually dissipated as the sun climbed its way over the distant mountains in the horizon. Lazily, the Shepherds came to life and Robin smiled at the few she encountered while on her way to the mess tent for a quick breakfast. Thanks to her early wake up call that morning, she was filled with a new found energy and felt almost ready to take on the day and its various challenges.

Remembering the harrowing experience from before, she suddenly glowered at the realization that that was probably not the last she would see of that wicked flock. Then, as if summoned by mere thought, the same tiny crow fluttered down from the great big blue and settled once again on her shoulder.

"Shoo! Leave me alone!" she cried, swatting a slender hand at the little thing. But unlike before, the little crow refused to leave. It jumped into the air, circled her head then sat back down on the opposite shoulder.

"Caw!" it squawked as it watched her with its beady, black eyes.

Robin shrugged her shoulder in another attempt to shed the bird but it simply hopped with her movements and stayed put.

"You're really not going to leave me be, are you?"

"Caw!" in other words, damn straight.

Sighing in defeat, Robin continued her walk towards the mess tent, praying that the chaos of hungry Shepherds within it would convince the feathery fiend to head somewhere else. No such luck. All the noise did was keep the crow in place. Great.

"Aww, don't you look just adorable with that little guy on your shoulder!" The blush crept unannounced to her cheeks at the sound of her fiance's voice. He waved her over to his place in the breakfast line and smiled happily as he went on, "I just knew they'd grow on you, ahaha!"

She couldn't help smiling herself.

"Henry..." she tried her best to sound in charge but the laugh in her voice threatened to out her. "Why were there crows roosting outside of my tent this morning?"

He smiled even wider as he took her hands and nuzzled his face to hers.

"Ahaha, beCAWse I told them to!"

Robin blinked, clearly taken aback by his honesty and forwardness. Actually, this shouldn't have surprised her one bit. They may have only been engaged for one week at this point but if knowing him for the past few months taught her anything, it would be that he had nothing to hide.

"What do you mean 'you told them to'? Do you have any idea the ruckus they were making? Not only did they wake me but Sully and a few others as well. I had to use wind magic to scare them away!"

"Aww, why'd you do that? They were only protecting you like I asked." he brushed his lips against her forehead as he said this. She could feel him grinning like the clever devil he thought he was. They advanced one spot in line.

"Why would I need a flock of crows to protect me? I'm perfectly capable on my own, or have you failed to notice that?" Robin squinted her dark eyes accusingly. If there was one thing she would not tolerate, it was having her abilities as a tactician and soldier brought into question. After all, wasn't she the one who crafted the plans that lead the Shepherds to victory time and time again? Of course she was. Henry cocked his head to the side as the implications of her statement caught on. They advance one more spot.

"What? It's not like that at all! I just felt better knowing you were being guarded at night. You know, since I can't be there just yet." he flashed her a genuine smile before turning away to move one more spot in line.

"Oh? And what does that mean?" she flips her platinum hair, forgetting about the bird on her shoulder(which had remained surprisingly quiet throughout their exchange), and squeals when it suddenly flaps its wings in protest at having been disturbed by her careless gesture. It caws, as if to say she better not try that again. Henry laughs.

"Well, I was told that it's inappropriate for a guy to share a girls tent, unless their married. Since you're making us wait for that, I had to come up with some sort of way to protect you!" he beams upon his impromptu revelation. Her heart beats wildly and the blush returns. They finally make it to front of the line and he continues with, "So, I asked the crows to watch over you when i'm not able to, ahaha!"

The server hands them both a bowl of some off-color, porridge-like substance and Henry mumbles about why the kitchen can never serve anything good, which earns him a nasty glare from said server. Being the armies chief tactician, Robin understands the plight of food, but still finds herself agreeing with her fiance. The porridge was bound to be tasteless at best and vile at worst. But on the other hand, they could all be starving, so she takes her bowl with a warm smile and leads Henry by the hand to an empty table.

"So, let me ask you this," she says as he sits down next to her, close enough that their elbows touch and the crow is able to jump from her shoulder to his without lifting a wing. "what could possibly happen to me in the middle of that night that crows would come in handy?" she's smiling despite the nature of her question. He hums for a moment as he contemplates both her and the slop in front of him.

"I don't know, maybe we have an assassin in our midst and he's just waiting for the perfect moment to get you? The crows would make such a spectacle that it would alert me and I could jump in and rescue you. Plus," he taste-tests his breakfast, contorts his face into a look of pure disgust, then shoves the bowl away with a 'Blegh, gross' before adding, "I'd get to kill him. Boy, would that be fun!"

She watches him carefully as he thinks better of the porridge. He instead offers a spoonful to the bird on his shoulder and chuckles when it too snubs the foul concoction. She smiles lovingly at him. Who knew that someone so macabre and strange could be so sweet and caring. He was hers and he made it very clear that she was his.

"You're too funny." she purrs as she leans in to peck him on the cheek and relishes in the tint of pink that surfaces from the contact. He smiles brighter than she had ever seen and continues, "I suppose I can learn to get along with the crows, at least until we're married. Just tell them to keep the squawking to a minimum or next time I'll be forced to use stronger magic."

They enjoy a light laugh together at the thought and he promises to keep the flock in check as she digs into the bowl of uninviting porridge. Ugh, why does breakfast always have to be the worst?


	2. Chapter 2

Gift

"Er, what is it?" Robin asked as she examined the peculiar ornament that he so carefully placed in her hand. She couldn't recall ever having seen anything like it; not in any of the markets they frequented and certainly not in his possession, although it had the essence of morbidity that he definitely liked. Bringing it eye level for a closer look, she inwardly reeled when she realized that it was a necklace, beaded with animal bones on a vibrant purple ribbon.

"It's a gift! I've been wanting to get you something for awhile now and Ricken suggested a new book but since our tent is full of them I thought 'What about jewelry?' I know you don't have any and girls like that kind of stuff, right? Smart, huh?" he grinned happily as he watched her turn the strand of animal bones over in her hands. He expected her to wear it? Sometimes his innocence was just too much.

"Ah! Yes, I suppose I've never been much for jewelry or decoration..." she started to trail off but the look Henry was giving her prompted her to continue speaking. "B-but it is lovely!" was all she could say.

"I'm glad you like it. I made it you know, took me days to finish it!"

"Really? You made this?"

"Mhm. I was gonna buy you something from town when Lissa mentioned that I should make it instead. Something about sentimental value. But you should definitely wear it, it'd look SO good on you, ahaha!" With that, he took the necklace from her hands and swiftly draped it around her neck. The bones had a creepy cool touch against her skin and she began to wonder just what kind of animal he used in its creation. Reaching a hand up to run a finger down the length of one side, she absentmindedly adjusted it so that the strand flowed down between her breasts, not completely hiding it from view.

"Henry? What kind of animal did you use to make this? Er, just out of curiosity..."

"Mostly rats, a few birds..." he brought a finger to his chin as he thought back, "Oh, and a squirrel." she unconsciously grimaced at the fate of the poor little critters and Henry quickly reassured her that 'they were already dead' and he had 'nothing to do with their deaths' since he knows how she feels about wanton killing, especially of innocent creatures. It was the crows who had seen to their demise.

"Well, I better hightail it out of here before Frederick comes looking for me. I skipped out on our training session this morning so I could finish this." he traced the same finger down the necklace but stopped just before the dip in her chest. His hand lingered there for a moment, contemplating things she could only guess at but if the dreamy look on his face was indicative of his imaginings, then guessing wouldn't be all that difficult. She could practically feel the excitement bubble over in the pit of her stomach. Then in an instant, he shook himself from his silent daydream and leaned in to plant a small kiss on her cheek. "See ya tonight!" and with a whirl of his cloak, he went dashing away towards the edge of camp, noticably in the direction of the woods. She couldn't help but smile at her husbands silly antics.

…

Robin flopped down on her side of the makeshift bed and let out a heavy but content sigh. Heavy because her day had been long and tiring but content because it was over and she could finally relax. She sat up briefly to wriggle out of her coat then fell back down into place, tossing the coat carelessly to the side. Running a thin hand through her platinum locks, she began to wonder just exactly where her husband was. He was always the last to return to their shared tent but the sun was halfway through setting and she hadn't seen him since earlier that day. She missed him.

She grasped the delicate necklace in her hands and quietly played with the various bones, rolling them between her fingers and caressing the silk of the violet ribbon that held them together. At first she wasn't sure about actually wearing the kitschy trinket but her duties were demanding and she eventually forgot that it was still around her neck. She received bizarre looks from her fellow Shepherds in passing and wasn't sure why at first. It wasn't until Chrom asked about the 'thing' around her neck that she even remembered Henry's grotesque little gift.

"Oh, this?" she had reached up to ball the necklace in her hand as she explained that it was a homemade present from Henry and that he had given it her that morning.

"Well, it is certainly, uh, unique." he chuckled as he tried not to stare. Robin had flushed at his offhand comment and felt compelled to defend her husbands 'unique' tastes when Lissa piped in.

"I think it's sweet! Any guy who would take the time to make his girl a present is a keeper in my book. Shopping is easy and lazy!"

In that moment, Robin could not have agreed more.

She sat up once more and strode over to her cluttered desk that sat at the far end of the tent. Shoving aside maps and notes, she picked up the handheld mirror and held it at arms length. Her eyes gazed into the glass as she cocked her head to the side to try and find the beauty in her reflection. She was never the narcissistic type. To her, beauty was skin deep and utterly useless on the battlefield. But the longer she stared into the mirror, the more she began to see just what Henry had been talking about. Of course she had never considered herself ugly by any means, she just never cared after beauty and such(as Chrom had so bluntly put it), but now, now she truly felt beautiful. Her long, white hair cascaded down past her shoulders to end upon her chest and precisley in the middle lay the necklace that Henry had made for her. The off-white color of the small animal bones that had been polished to a near shine and the violet of the ribbon that contrasted nicely with her ivory skin. A pink blush crept into her cheeks as she burned the image into her mind.

"I'm back! Ahaha!" laughed that familiar voice of his as he threw open the tent flap and stepped into the warm glow of their tiny, traveling home. "What are you doing? Not reading like usual, I see, ahaha."

She let her arm drop to her side as she beamed at him with a newfound love. "Just admiring your gift." Feeling far more affectionate than she had been earlier in the day, she moved towards him and placed her arms around his shoulders, resting her head next to his as he leaned down to better accommodate the height difference. He wrapped his arms around her waist and giggled into her ear.

"You really like it?"

In response, she nuzzled her cheek against his and held him tighter. Holding the mirror up once more, she saw them as they were, her blushing face peeking out from behind his high collar, his messy, white head cradled in the crook of her neck, and a smidge of the purple ribbon before the rest of it was lost out of sight. Bringing her free hand to his head, she massaged her fingers into his hair and smiled even wider once she realized that he was absolutely right. It did look good on her.


	3. Chapter 3

Camisado

With a jolt, Robin was sitting up in bed, ears pounding and heart racing. It was the screams that woke her from sleep and she tried desperately to gather her wits, to make sense of what exactly was happening just outside of her tent flap. Another scream had her snapping her head towards the sound before she realized that the camp was under attack. Kicking blankets and pillows away, she clawed her way out of bed as she searched in the dark for anything to defend herself with. As she hastily fit her feet into her boots, her hand fell on an unknown, heavy, leather bound book. Whatever magic it held would have to do for there was no time to waste; her comrades needed her.

Forgetting that she was wearing nothing but a thin, cotton nightgown, she lunged from her tent out into the ruinous night. She stumbled a few feet into the lane of neighboring tents before a screech from overhead had her coming to an abrupt halt. Having but a few seconds to flip open the tome, Robin whirled about as a wyvern rider set upon her. Dodging the wide swing of its battle ax by barely a hairs length, she about-faced before throwing her hand out in the direction of the oncoming rider and rapidly fired a series of lightning bolts, shocking the beast from the air and sending the rider to the ground. Arc Thunder, how lucky.

Widening her stance and forcing her face into a look of absolute concentration, she readied another, more powerful attack as her adversary lumbered to its feet, it's wyvern lying dead from the previous one. Once it reached its full height, the rider rolled it's head slowly, as if to work out any kinks in its neck, before setting it's red eyes upon her once more. Risen.

In one fluid motion and with dexterity uncommon of the undead, the soldier placed one foot forward before catapulting the steel ax at her, causing her to blunder backwards onto her rear and to misfire her thunder spell. Scrambling to regain balance and frantically reaching for the dropped tome, she glanced up the see the rider lurching forward, getting closer with every wobbly stride it took. Not feeling the tome anywhere within reach, she began to panic as it's raspy wheezing drew ever nearer, ready to strike her down once and for all.

"CAW!"

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a single crow spiraled down from the sky towards the risen, clawing and pecking and flapping at its face, distracting it from it's intended target. Robin stared wide eyed at the bizarre phenomena, unable to believe that a tiny crow was taking on a monster such as that. Shaking sense back into herself, she jumped to her feet and grabbed the closest thing within reach, the steel ax.

Running towards the beast herself, she swung the ax in a circle above her head before bringing it down in a giant arc to cut clean through the flesh and bone of its shoulder, embedding the blade deep within its chest. Furrowing her brow and heaving heavily, she held onto the haft of the ax and only adjusted her position when the risen fell to its knees, gurgling nonsensically as it turned to smoke and ash. Still holding the ax in one hand, she offered her other hand to the crow, where it gently landed with a soft 'caw'.

"Let's not mention this to Henry, shall we?" The bird cocked it's head at her words, beady eyes flashing in the moonlight. "He'll never let me live this down." She concluded, sending the bird back into the air and setting about looking for her misplaced tome.

...

Arc Thunder back in her arms, she beelined her way through tents and scattered supplies, letting the clash of weapons, flashes of magic and cries from ally and adversary alike guide her to the fray, her feathery companion flapping along in her wake.

"Robin! Over here!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to see Lissa wildly flagging her down with a staff. A body was hunched at her feet and Robin felt her heart leap into her throat when she realized the body was one of their own. She ran for Lissa and their fallen comrade.

"Oh Gods, Lissa! What happened?!" Robin cried hysterically, hoping beyond hope that the small cleric managed to save their friend.

"It's okay! He's okay, just some burns from fire magic, nothing too serious." Lissa exclaimed as Robin dropped to her knees to get a better look at Donnel. The sleeve of his shirt was singed and torn and she could make out the charred skin of his arm. She'd suffered minor burns from fire magic herself but this looked positively painful. Nevertheless, the young Shepherd gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

"Sorry Miss Robin, but that mage was on us like white on rice, he was..." He chuckled bravely before grimacing at a new bout of pain.

"Don't move your arm!" Lissa hissed as Robin chuckled with him.

"It's alright Donnel, you have nothing to apologize for. Just let Lissa look after you now." He nodded obediently before settling back into his hunch. Robin straightened up to speak more with the cleric. "Have you seen anyone else? Any of the others injured?"

"No other injuries yet. We were with Chrom just before he set off with Frederick to the edge of camp. He didn't have time to alert you."

Robin nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I can tell... Alright, which way did they go?"

Lissa pointed her in the right direction before wishing her good luck. Faltering for a mere moment, Robin thought to ask Lissa one more, pressing question.

"Before I go, tell me, have you seen Henry? I know he was assigned night watch tonight but I just...need to know...".

Lissa's expression drooped to an apologetic one. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen him since supper...". Robin could feel herself deflating at the sorry revelation. "But I'm sure he's fine. He is hard to catch, after all...".

With a paltry smile, Robin thanked Lissa for the information and took off in the direction the princess had indicated.

Sprinting through the disheveled camp with the agility of a sighthound, all Robin could think about was ending this fight quickly without anymore casualties, and locating her husband. She hadn't seen him since supper either, and judging by the moons placement in the night sky, they had but a few hours left before it disappeared in the dawn. He should have been back in their tent well before the commotion broke out and the fact that he hadn't been by her side when she awoke disturbed her. Even with night watch duty, it wasn't like him to stay away for too long. But he always did enjoy a good fight. Perhaps his assignment made him privy to the enemies nightly raid and he'd rushed ahead to fend them off? Call it youthful arrogance or reckless abandon, he just couldn't resist the urge to shed blood. And he was good at it. She had observed him many times in the field, laughing manically while casting his arcane black magic at anyone and everyone(so long as they were foe), then turning to say just how much fun he was having, grinning all the while. Despite his sinisterly low scruples in the heat of battle, she found it quite intriguing, and a tad too terrifying. Not to mention his high pain threshold. He could take a sword to the gut and not realize it until he looked down. Which terrified her even more since he'd be more willing to throw himself at the enemy without fear of pain. Death could stalk him at any moment and she'd be too far away to stop it. But Lissa was right. He had a sneaky way about him, never letting the attacker get a hold of him because he always got them first. Even so, there were a few times he had to be carried back to the medical tent... She quietly prayed for his safety.

As the sounds of battle grew louder, she saw the tiny crow race in front of her, flapping its wings to loft ever higher, heralding the distant combat into plain sight. Slowing her pace, she let her jaw drop as the dread crept its way up her spine. There were so many of them; how could they possibly have missed a supernatural battalion of this size? She chided herself for hesitating when the 'how' and 'why' hardly mattered at the moment. Steeling her resolve, Robin flicked open her tome and charged to meet the risen head on.

…

Catching a reprieve after the hard fought battle, Robin closed her eyes as she massaged the tight muscles in her neck. Spellcasting was just as laborious as swinging a sword due to the repetitious motions and she had lost count of just how many lightning bolts she had cast. She came very close to a muscle cramp and was exhausted beyond measure. Heaving the heaviest sigh in months, she continued to work out the knot, even when she sensed a presence fall into place right behind her. A smile wove its way onto her lips as two familiar hands were placed on either side of her neck and began to work gentle but firm circles, easing the tightness underneath.

"Figures, once the fighting is said and done, then I find you." she tittered quietly. Pivoting under his touch, the corners of her mouth turned downward when she saw the smear of blood that colored his cheek. His light hair was mussed in all angles, a chunk hung limply in his eyes. Stepping back to give him a one-over, she noted slight tears in his clothes and a gash in his cloak. "Henry...are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" she tried to keep the panic in her voice at bay but it trembled still. He must have noticed because he laughed his characteristic 'Ahaha!' and set her fears to rest, stating that the blood on his cheek wasn't his and the rips and tears were from near-hits. He was perfectly fine and now that he was reunited with his wife, he never felt better. Relieved, she toppled into him, throwing her arms around his mid-section and burying her face in his chest, holding him tighter than she ever had.

"Ah! What's gotten into y-you? Hrrgh, that's a little...tight, Robin...ahaha..."

"Sorry...I was just so worried about you." she loosened her grip but remained hugging him. "You never came back to our tent last night. And when I made it to the fight...there were just so many of them, and I couldn't help but think...I tried not to think about..." he smiled sweetly down at her and wrapped his own arms around her shoulders. "I'm just glad you're okay." she managed to get out before resting her head on his chest yet again. She closed her eyes and let his scent surround her. Dirt, sweat, blood, he could be the foulest smelling Shepherd in existence and she would still love it because it would mean he was alive and by her side. Thankfully though, that wasn't the case.

"I'm glad you're okay too! I did try to find you but Chrom and Frederick needed help. I figured you would have told me to stick with them anyways."

"You were with Chrom? When?"

"Mm, near the end I think? Gaius and I had just made it back to camp when we met up with them. Boy, did they need help! Surrounded on all sides, ahahaha! Oh man, good times..." he giggled gleefully at the thought of having saved his captain and lieutenants hides from almost certain doom. Robin rolled her eyes.

"Wait, what do you mean 'You had just made it back to camp'? You weren't patrolling the parameter when the attack happened?"

"Er, kiiinda. It was nearing the end of our shift when we heard some really weird noises coming from the woods so we thought we'd investigate. Must've gone pretty far in because we wound up getting lost. Actually, it was all the fighting that guided us back out. That's how I got the gash in my cloak, got caught on a tree branch, ahaha."

Robin watched him thoughtfully.

"Then when we got back, I immediately wanted to go looking for you but Gaius insisted we help Chrom."

"That's...most bizarre. Did you ever discover what was making those noises?"

"Nope! Came up dead roses, ahaha!"

Cocking her head to the side, she tried to make sense of what he was telling her. First, a strange occurrence in the nearby woods in the dead of night, then minutes later, an ambush of drastic proportions. And to top it all off, they still weren't able to decipher just what had caused the disturbance in the woods. Something was definitely wrong but in her current condition, she hardly had the mind to sort it all out. She would need rest before tackling this mystery.

"Hold that thought, love, right now, we should focus on the cleanup and re-mobilizing. Then we'll figure out what the hell happened here..."

"You got it!" he pulled Robin close for a kiss when her crow savior flew down from above and landed gracefully on his shoulder.

"Oh! Hey you! Have a good time last night? Ahaha!" he reached a hand up to stroke the birds chest and was instantly greeted with a barrage of 'Caws', inciting a round of laughter from Henry. "HAHAHA, WOW! So my plan worked after all! Oh, that's just bloody fantastic!"

Robin volleyed her gaze from him to the bird and back to him. Confusion did not sit well with her and she urged him to, by all means, fill her in.

"What? What's it saying?"

Henry clapped his hands to either side of his face in an attempt to control his delight but a few seconds more of controlled amusement had her scrutinizing his childish conduct. Arms crossed, she waited impatiently for him to spill the beans. Deciding that it would be of no good to him to have a miffed wife, he composed himself and offered her the most annoying smile he could muster.

"Well, pardon the joke, hehe, buuut a little birdie told me that you had a run-in with a wyvern rider."

The neutral expression on her face slowly crumbled as the implications of his jest caught on.

"Would have been cleaved clean in two too if SOMEONE hadn't been there to PROTECT you! Ahahaha!" As Henry threw his head back to laugh some more, Robin couldn't help but gasp at the disloyalty and lack of trust that the bird harbored for her. She should have known better than to trust a pest.

"You TRAITOR!"

Sensing an impending fit, the crow launched from it's resting place and raced away as Robin flung a stone skyward, dodging the projectile with ease.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL!"


	4. Chapter 4

Super sappy, a little romantic, and all kinds of indulgent.

Favorite

Lamps glowed to life and campfires burned into existence as all around the Shepherds settled down to enjoy a few quiet hours before the night became too dark and too cold to put off sleep any longer. A few joined forces in the mess tent to gamble away what little they had left of their stipends while others gathered around the various fires to swap stories of home. Some stalked off to take up their posts as nightwatchmen as those in charge of last minute duties hurried to finish them so that, they too, could catch a couple hours reprieve. And the rest returned to their tents to relax the evening away in the silent comfort of their own little worlds.

Now that the day was over and she was free to spend the night however she wished, Robin led an overly amused Henry by the hand to her own tent. It had been weeks of round-the-clock planning and fighting for the Ylissean elite force ever since they had made landfall in Valm and tonight was the first night in a long time that she was able to have him all to herself. She certainly had no intention of squandering their precious little time together by taking part in a ridiculous gambling tournament.

"Vaike will surely be sorry once the wine wears off and he realizes that he basically handed Gregor his money," she thought smugly as a smirk crept across her face. "Because he sucks at gambling.".

Finally coming to a halt outside her tent flap, she twirled on the spot and smiled sweetly at her soon-to-be husband. He returned the sentiment as she softly squeezed his hand before letting it go all together so that she could bunch the edges of his cloak in her own hands as she tugged him quickly into her canvas home. She chuckled at his apparent shyness while he mumbled inaudibly to himself. This wasn't the first time he had visited her in her tent but it definitely was the first time he had been allowed inside during the night. The faint pink that colored his cheeks told her he had an idea of where tonights events might possibly lead and while she was in no state of mind to rush their relationship, the nervousness he displayed now was so rare and so out of character that she just couldn't resist the urge to toy with him a little bit longer. Oh, she could be so sadistic when she wanted to be.

"What's the matter? There's no need to be so shy." Robin purred quietly. Carefully stepping deeper into the tent, she made sure to put a slight sway in her hips as she walked away from him. She could feel his gaze on her backside and had to suppress the laughter that dared to bubble in her throat. She felt so silly acting like this but his reactions were worth it.

Reaching her untidied desk, she turned back to face him as she casually leaned against its oaken edge. The smile on her face was small but genuine and holding her arms out to him, beckoned him to come to her. She was absolutely pleased when he obeyed and in one fluid motion, she placed the palms of her hands on his chest and moved her body as close as her arms would allow. One thing that she loved about him was his need for closeness. He never denied her a hug, a sweet kiss, or a hand held because they were things he wanted as well. Even before he proposed, even before they revealed their mutual attraction, he just had to be close to her. He would help her with her chores and duties(while inadvertently shirking his own), insisting on hanging around even when said chores and duties were complete, standing as close to her as he could get away with, and generally just being _there_ with her. At first she thought he was just clingy and would often ask why he hung around but after hearing what he had to say about himself, she realized that he simply needed daily interactions and physical contact. And the fact that he would come to her for such things, well, she never felt more wanted and more needed by anyone than when he was around.

Smiling at the thought, Robin hummed to herself while watching her carefully placed hands. She smoothed her palms just so over his chest, liking the feel of the worn fabric of his sweater but wishing she could remove it all that same. The feel of his clothes, though on and being warmed by his body, just wasn't the same as bare contact and, almost like reading her mind, he brought his own hands up to stroke the backsides of her arms, caressing gently while sending shivers down her spine. The sensation got her thinking.

"Henry? What exactly do you like about me?" the flirtatious edge in her voice was unintentional this time but she found herself quite surprised by how easy it came to her.

He opened his mouth, ready to voice whatever came to mind, but seemed to backtrack for a moment before settling on "Everything."

The glow in his face and the way he smiled at her had her believing he truly meant that, but 'everything' was so vague and she wasn't going to let him off so easily. Pressing her whole body ever closer, she urged him to delve into specifics. Even he couldn't be immune to the charms of a lady.

"That's not a real answer, love. I want detail." she remarked, massaging her hands over his sweater and up onto the decorative collar of his cloak.

"Ah, er, well..."

With wide eyes, she awaited his answer expectantly. "Come on," she giggled lightly, "there has to be _something_ in particular that you like about me."

He laughed softly at her insistence. "You mean besides how smart you are? Or how nice you are to me?"

Robin roared with laughter at that. "Come now, you don't have to convince me that my personality is golden." Wiping a figurative tear from her eye, she calmed her mirth before fixing her attention back on the feel of his hands that were now holding on to her hips. "I mean, what do you like about me physically?" asking her question slowly, she knew just how superficial it sounded bur it wasn't every day that she received compliments on her figure. Not that she was fishing for compliments or anything like that.

"Mmm," he hummed quietly.

Even with his eyes closed she could sense his gaze falling to just below her chin. Really? That's the part of her he liked? Men...

"Well, I do really like your neck." he finally said, causing her to double take and blink four times before the gravity of his words sunk in.

"My neck? Why my neck?" her hands unconsciously lifted up to cup her slender neck. There was really nothing special about it.

"Because! It's always so warm! And soft! And it smells nice, kinda like wild flowers or soap." he stated matter-of-factly. He even raised a pointed finger for emphasis.

Now she was the one blushing.

"And this might sound a little creepy but I LOVE hearing and feeling your pulse. It's comforting in a totally weird way, ahaha." he lifted his own hand and placed it alongside her neck, rubbing his thumb right over where the skin pulsed with life. In a totally weird way, she understood.

"But also," he continued, but with less hilarity. "I feel safe there. Like when I hug you, or when we're napping, just hiding my face in your neck...I don't know, I just feel safe. Like the world can't see me and nothing else matters. Isn't that strange? Ahaha."

His revelation was far too endearing and she could feel real tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She hadn't been prepared for an answer like that but she was still glad for it.

"Henry, that's really sweet..." she smiled, wiping away a very real tear.

He threw his hands up in a 'what are you gonna do?' manner. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm just being honest. Actually, there're a lot of things I like about you. When I said 'everything', I meant that. But your neck is my favorite, hehe."

Shaking her head free of anymore unshed tears, she lunged for him. Clasping her arms around his head and locking his lips in her own, she kissed him like she never had. Rough, passionate, with brief moments of innocence, he kissed her back, though it took him a little longer to get on even ground. But once he did, he was more aggressive in the act than she. And that was the second thing she loved about him.

…

Sorry if my updates take too long, I become distracted quite easily. :\


	5. Chapter 5

Serendipity

Placing the pie carefully into the wicker picnic hamper, Robin just couldn't hold back the smile. Having just claimed victory in a crucial battle of the war a few days earlier, Chrom had decided to give her the day off as a small reward. If it hadn't been for her strategy, they surely would have lost but just like the times before, she saw them through it. She always did. And to show his gratitude for having such a hardworking and capable tactician, he ordered her to leave the officers marquee and to not return until she had done something for herself. Fun or relaxing, he had said. She opted for both.

She closed the lid to the hamper and hummed cheerfully on her way out of the mess tent. Most soldiers could never make off with the amount of food that she just did, but being the Shepherds chief tactician as well as the subhead of logistics(Frederick was in charge of that area), the kitchen lead had been unwilling to deny her request for a picnic hamper with enough food for two. They even allowed her to use the facility to prepare some of her favorites herself. She couldn't wait to share it all with him.

As Robin hurried through camp on her way to the open fields that lay beyond, she smiled even wider at how positively gorgeous the day was. The sky was a brilliant blue with fluffy, white clouds rolling along on a gentle breeze. Flowers in all colors were in bloom and the grass swayed with each passing gust. She loved the springtime and surmised that this was exactly like paradise. How could it not be? Oh yes, this would definitely be the day she made her move.

Sidestepping both Stahl and Gaius, and laughing out a quick apology(nobody could eat quite like them and there was no way they were getting their hands on her hamper), she dashed off to meet her date. It didn't take her long to reach the spot they had agreed to meet at. The grass here grew waist high and she felt it would provide a perfect buffer between them and the rest of camp. If they couldn't be seen then no one could interfere. But she couldn't see him either. Or more accurately, he didn't seem to be around.

She walked slowly through the grass, her smile beginning to look more and more like a frown as she wove a trail farther in. Perhaps he was running late? He did agree to meet her. In fact he was absolutely thrilled when she invited him out. Maybe he got the day wrong? Coming to a halt, she shifted the hamper from one hand to the other and scratched her head in confusion. "I suppose I could go back to camp to look for him..." She thought, scowling at the idea of having to walk all the way back after she had just rushed out. What a pain.

Before she had fully decided on her course of action, she heard him call her name.

"Robin! Over here!"

Turning to look in his direction, she saw him farther down in the field, waving his arms to catch her attention. So he hadn't forgotten.

Smiling once again, she made her way down the hill to his location, pleased that he had brought a blanket like she asked. "I was starting to think you had forgotten." She said playfully, letting go of the hamper and plopping down on the blanket. He followed suit but much more gracelessly.

"No. I'd never forget about this." His own smile mirrored hers. "But I'm sorry I made you think that. I guess I was just too busy watching the clouds."

"It's alright, Henry, I'm just glad you're here." She could feel her heart swelling when he smiled back and to keep from squealing like a lovesick schoolgirl, she instead busied herself with revealing the hampers contents. "Now then, look what I have." She replied in a singsong voice. Henry leaned forward for a better look.

"Whoa! Who'd you have to kill to get all of that?!"

"Ha! Being an officer of the Ylissean army definitely has its perks. Being my charming self certainly doesn't hurt either." Flashing him an alluring grin, she giggled when he didn't shy away.

"Maybe you could get them to make something good for a change then. I hate bear, haha."

"Oh no, don't say that! Bear is one of my favorites!" She brushes her platinum fringe out of her eyes as the breeze picks up, whipping her long hair about her face. Henry laughs. "Besides, it's not like they listen to me per se, they just give me a little more freedom to take what I want. I had to make most of this myself." Waving a hand over the hamper, she indicates the pie and other goodies.

"Ooh, I see. Yeah, this all looks waaay too good to have been made by anyone from the kitchen. Your pie actually looks like a pie and not like something you'd find in a cow pasture."

Robin bursts with laughter at that. "They try really hard you know! They make do with what they have and you should be happy to not be starving!"

"Haha, yeah, but so did you. I can't wait to try it! But their food, I can't wait to hurl it, ahaha!"

"Henry! That's so mean!" She shoves him playfully and can hardly contain her laughter. "You shouldn't say such things! Who knows, maybe one day their terrible cooking will save your life."

"I doubt it. Their cooking is more likely to end it than save it."

Robin sits back to get a better look at him. He's still smiling.

"You really don't like what they make, do you?"

He shakes his head. "Nope! I've had scraps that tasted better than what they serve."

Thinking about that for a moment, Robin grinned when an idea came to her.

"Perhaps I could cook for you then."

His face lights up at her suggestion. "Really? That'd be awesome! Anything you make has to be better than what they come up with!"

His smile is so bright and infectious that she just has to smile with him, though the pink in her cheeks was entirely her own doing. Something about him always made her cheeks flush.

"Deal. Now let's eat before the wind blows everything away."

"Yes ma'am." She chuckles at his obedience.

Carefully dividing the pie into equal parts, she hands him a plate then proceeds to dig in to her own slice, relishing the sheer deliciousness. From the corner of her eye, she watches him use his fork to delve right in, bringing the bite to his mouth and chomping down. She has a second bite halfway to her own lips when she hears him gag.

"Henry? Is everything alright?" Snapping her head to look at him, she's unable to mistake the expression on his face for anything other than revulsion.

He forces himself to swallow but the absence of the morsel in his mouth does nothing to abate the sick-look on his face. "What kind of pie is this?"

"Er, Liver-and-Eel. It's a Plegian speciality. Tharja and I love it...You...don't like it?"

Henry smiles sadly. "It's Plegian? First time I've ever heard of it. Or tried it, hehe."

She slumps her shoulders. "You don't like it..." She feels more hurt than she should. Liver-and Eel pie is an acquired taste after all, and definitely not for beginners. But he was Plegian as well and hung out with Tharja all the time. Surely he should have at least tried it. Apparently not.

Sensing her distress, he makes a show of waving his hands in protest, his smile becoming friendlier again, and tries to reassure her that it really isn't thaaaat bad.

"Wha-? No! I swear, it's not so bad!...Well, I mean, it is kinda fishy. And spongy. But liver is always spongy." She doesn't perk up and he notices. "Ah, I'm sorry, Robin. You worked so hard to make this for me and I'm ruining it. Sorry I'm so difficult."

Hearing him apologize for something that was totally not his fault, something that really was no big deal, had her realizing how badly he wanted to please her. He was always so helpful to her; friendly and funny and sweet, that when she left her tent that one morning only to find him waiting patiently for her outside, back when she first started to feel something for him, she knew she wanted to do something nice for him. And what does she go and do? Makes him eat Liver-and-Eel pie. There was only one thing to do after that.

"Hehe..."

"Robin?"

"Bahahahaha!" Robin laughs so hard that she begins to feel a stitch in her side. Wiping away a tear, she eventually calms down, catching her breath. There was no sense in crying over spilled milk.

"So, you don't like Liver-and-Eel pie, you don't like what the kitchen serves...what DO you like then?"

"Ahaha, oh, you know, basic stuff. Pies with cream, er, FRUIT pies that is," Robin rolls her eyes and he continues. "Candy apples, macaroni and cheese with fried boar crips...stuff like that."

Shaking her head smugly, she can't help the smirk that forms on her lips.

"Definitely noted. But lucky for you, Mister Picky, I brought other things as well."

Henry sighs in relief.

...

They spend the rest of the afternoon out in the field, finishing off the last of the food(she wrapped up the remains of the pie, intending to share the rest with Tharja later), swapping jokes and stories, teasing each other, and generally just being lazy. It had been quite some time since they were able to relax and enjoy a day off from training and planning and she was more than thankful for it. Honestly, she couldn't think of a better way to spend her day off. If only she could work up the courage to make her move like she had promised herself...

Lounging back on the blanket while interpreting the shapes of the clouds, she wondered just how she should go about doing so when he piped up.

"Hey Robin? Thanks for inviting me out today. If you hadn't then I'd be stuck running drills with Frederick. I can't believe he's still mad about that whole latrine thing. I told him like, five times that it was an accident."

She shudders slightly at the memory. "Yeaaah, don't expect him to let up on you anytime soon..." Time to change the subject.

She twists her head around to look him. He's still gazing up into the sky.

"But thanks for joining me. If you hadn't, then I'd be out here alone."

"Aww, you don't have to thank me. I'd do anything that you asked. Actually, even if you didn't ask, I'd still do anything for you." He's looking at her now, a genuine smile on his face and his white hair rippling in the breeze. If she hadn't known better, she would have taken his words for granted. But Henry was always so honest and sincere that she could tell he meant what he said. It still surprised her all the same.

"Would you?..."

"Yup. Whatever you want me to, I'd do it for you. I don't want you to be lonely. I'd much rather you be happy."

Feeling her face flush hotter than ever, she smiles so brightly that she's almost certain it looks ridiculous. But she doesn't care. And she's not quite sure what to say. Was this his way of confessing? Should she confess? The butterflies in her stomach never felt so active but even so, she just couldn't bring herself to ruin the moment with words. Right now, words were unnecessary. If this was any indication of his feelings, then she could tell him later. For now, she simply settled with sliding her hand over to his, smiling even more when he allowed her to slip it underneath his own. It was warm and soft, not at all like the rough and calloused hands of the other soldiers and- Oh my gosh, he just laced his fingers with hers! Her heart very nearly leapt from her chest in excitement, pounding too fast to be able to stay put.

She'd made her move. It was small and innocent, but still a move nonetheless and at least it told him of her intentions. And she couldn't have been happier.

"Robin?"

"Yes, Henry?"

He squeezed her hand at the sound of his name.

"I know I said I'd do anything for you. And I would!" He quickly added. "But please don't make that pie again. That was awful..."

She face-palms.

Henry has the palate of a five year oldXD


	6. Chapter 6

Scramble

No...no...definitely no...", she sighs. "No...ugh! Absolutely not!"

"What's the problem?" Robin swivels her head around to come face to face with the red-headed merchant. The devilish look on her face implies that she knows exactly what the problem is but took delight in hearing the answer for herself; to confirm that she was right all along. Robin scowled.

"Don't you have anything a little more, uh, modest? I mean, I don't exactly want everything to spill out in front of everyone..." She mimes the act with her arms wide, imitating a wave-like motion that begins at chest level. "Gods knows too many people have already seen me indecent.." She thinks the last part to herself.

Anna taps her chin in contemplation. "So, I'm going to assume that _this_," she holds up what looks like two pieces of string connected to the skimpiest pair of panties Robin has ever seen, "is out of the question?"

The tactician feels her face go hot. "Of course it is! I would never degrade myself by wearing something as trashy as that!"

Anna quickly hides the garment behind her back, plastering an innocent smile across her face but Robin doesn't let up.

"And honestly, if all you're going to keep offering me is more trash like that then you can just forget about me buying anything here at all! I'd rather sweat the day out in my coat and miss out on the fun than parade around in anything you try to sell me!"

Anna goes to open her mouth, to get a word in edgewise but Robin refuses to be interrupted by the merchant when all she'd done was insult her the entire time she spent in her shop. "I know you have more than just _this_," Robin reaches around the girls back and yanks the offending suit from her hands, shaking it in her fist. "I saw the suits you sold Lissa and Sumia. Cordelia's is so cute on her! Why do you even have this?! Who in their right mind would wear something so uncouth?!"

Anna smiles wider. Robin doesn't miss a beat. "You're mocking me, aren't you? Trying to say that those suits won't fit me, huh? Don't give me that look! You know exactly what I'm talking about! Well, I can reasonably say that I have never been more affronted in my entire life! You can keep your skimpy...clothes!" She angrily throws the garment back in Anna's face. "And I'll keep every coin in my pocket! Thanks, but if it's all the same, thanks for nothing!"

Turning on her heel, Robin makes for the door, squinting her eyes to keep the angry tears from overflowing. Before she can reach the exit however, Anna throws her arm out, catching the tacticians shoulder and stopping her in her tracks.

"I'm sorry, Robin. You're absolutely right. I'm afraid I just couldn't help myself, hehe..." She offers Robin an apologetic look, a plea to stay so that she may help her find the perfect suit. "But don't leave, I do have some suits that would look amazing on you. Just follow me back to the dressing room and I'll get them for you. I'll even throw in a...d-discount..."she noticeably stutters out the word.

Robin glares at her. She turns her head to look back out of the open door. Her friends were already in their suits, enjoying the sunshine and having the time of their lives, frolicking on the beach and splashing in the crystal clear waters of the ocean. She longed to join them but needed a suit of her own. Softening her glare slightly, she returns to the merchant.

"No more garbage. I want something like you sold the other girls. And something that fits. I heard all about how you tried to get Tharja to wear something two sizes too small."

Anna nods obediently. "Aye aye, captain! Er, tactician! Now," she takes hold of Robins hand and leads her to the back of the shop. "You just wait in here while I find you the perfect swimsuit."

She closes the door behind her, leaving Robin to stand awkwardly in the cramped space of the dressing room. Should she begin to undress? Only if she wanted Anna to bust in on her, ready with that snapshot tome of hers. If the bikini-clad merchant was anything like her Shepherd sister, she'd try to sell the snapshot to the highest bidder, and Robin definitely didn't want any snapshots of her in the buff circling around.

Deciding she'd be fine without her coat, she removed the heavy outer layer and hung it on a hook. As she did, she caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror. She looked herself over every which way and sighed. "Please bring me something flattering..." She thought somberly.

As if on cue, a knock on the door announced Anna's return. "Open up, love! I have something for you!"

Without even fully turning the doorknob, Anna forced her way in to the room, her arms flowing with different colored fabrics and her face lit up by her, still, devilish grin. It was just slightly less manipulative, Robin noted.

"What are you doing? You can't try on bikinis with your clothes still on! Remove them at once!"

Robin falters, shocked that she was being told to undress by the proprietor of the establishment and complete stranger. "With you watching? I don't think so."

Anna rolls her eyes as she dumps the pile of swimsuits onto the waiting bench. "Robin, please. We're both women. You have everything that I have. Unless you have more...you don't have more, do you?"

"Wha-? NO!" Robins stomps her foot in defiance.

Anna winks. "Good! Then you should have no trouble taking off your clothes. Don't worry, this'll be our little secret."

Before Robin could object further, and with snappy hands to rival Gaius's, Anna had the tacticians belt unbuckled and dropping to the floor as she gripped the hem of her shirt and hoisted upwards.

"Ooo! You ARE a busty one! No wonder you didn't like those trashy swimsuits. You're already sexy enough without them!"

"Can we please get through this without incident?"

"But my goodness, Robin! Look at you! Who knew you had all of *this*," she uses her hands to shape a very shapely hour-glass form around Robins body. "Under all of that!" She points to her heavy coat.

"It's really of no concern to you, merchant. Just give me a swimsuit to try on."

Anna frowns. "Yeesh, grumpy! Can't a girl admire another girls body without being burned? I'm sure you get compliments all the time. What's one more?" She hands Robin a neon green one-piece studded with sequins.

Robin snatches the suit from her. "No, I don't. Now please, just drop it."

Casting her hands up, palms out in a 'who knows' manner, Anna sighs. "Fine. But I really don't see what the issue is. Your body is absolutely stunning. You should really show it off more."

Robin twirls her finger in a circular motion, commanding Anna to turn around so that she may fully undress without prying eyes on her. Anna begrudgingly obliges.

"Thanks for the advice. I didn't ask for it." Kicking off the last of her undergarments, Robin slips on the suit with much difficulty. Why did her hips have to be so big? Why did her boobs have to be so large? Why couldn't she have a normal body like the rest of the lady Shepherds?

"This ones a 'no'."

"Damn, really? Let me see." Turning on the spot, Anna gives her customer the one-over. "Hmm, it does seem a little tight, here(her hips), and here(her breasts)."

Robin clenches her jaw. She already knew that.

"Off with it! You shall try this one on!" Thrusting a new suit into Robins hands, the red-head smiles and resumes her position of facing away.

Slipping off the flashy green one-piece, Robin has never felt more grateful to be naked than now. Even if it had fit, she wouldn't have bought it. It was utterly horrendous.

Holding up the next suit, she thinks that this one isn't so bad. It resembled Cordelia's two-piece with a ruffled skirt, in pink. She puts each piece on and immediately is disheartened. The top fits almost perfectly, still a little tight but at least it held everything in. The bottoms however...

"Well? All dressed?"

"Yeah..."

Anna turns around exuberantly then proceeds with her analysis. "Wow! This one looks fantastic! Ding! Ding! I think we have a winner!"

Robin gives her the best 'you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me' look she can muster. She shakes her head. "No."

"Why not? It looks great on you."

Robins doesn't say a word but instead lifts up the back of the ruffled skirt.

"Oh my..." The tactician nods in agreement. "It's riding up. ALL the way up."

"Oooooo...let's just take this one off then, shall we? Here ya go! Third times a charm!"

Feeling more discouraged than ever, Robin takes the next suit from Anna reluctantly. She doesn't move to swap out the suits. It was going to look just as bad. Nothing ever fit her properly due to her curvy shape and she constantly found herself bringing new clothes to Cherche to have them hemmed and fitted. None of the other girls had a body like hers and she felt out of place for it.

Sensing the personal dilemma, Anna turns back around to see Robin watching her reflection sadly. "Robin? You okay?"

"I'm just, not sure that this is a good idea..."

Anna offers her a friendly smile as she places her hands on Robins shoulders, staring into the mirror with her. "Oh, come on. You're Robin! The most famous and most feared tactician in practically the entire world! You destroy zombies! And kings! And even gods! Don't tell me a bikini will be your downfall! Because I refuse to believe that someone as strong as you will let something like this stop you."

Robin shakes her head. "But I'm not...skinny or small like the other girls. No, I'm the fat one of the lot..." She crosses her arms stubbornly and looks away from the mirror.

Anna looks as of she'd been slapped. "Don't you dare say that! You're plenty small! And skinny! You just have more to love up here," she bounces Robins breasts in her hands. Robin slaps them away. "And down here!" She smacks Robin on the behind. Robin yelps. "Besides, if people really thought that about you, do you really think that you would have scored so high in the polls? I think not! Your fans have spoken and so have I! Now, off with this atrocious thing and into the next one! Er, the next lovely suit, I mean!"

"...I have fans?"

"Mhm. You all do. Some a little more than others but lord, how people like you!"

"People like me?"

"Of course! How could they not? You're beautiful! And smart! That's like winning the lottery! And boy, did you win the genetic lottery, girlfriend!" Anna winks and blows a kiss, earning herself a small giggle from the girl in front of her.

Giving in and feeling loads better thanks to the merchants strange pep talk, Robin grins for the first time since she walked into the shop.

"Alright, I suppose one more couldn't hurt."

"Damn straight! Now get into that bikini and show me what you've got!" With a dramatic twirl, Anna is once again facing away so that Robin had the privacy to undress.

She's halfway through tying on the bikini when Anna pipes up yet again.

"Say, Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"You're married, right?"

Robin cocks her head, almost done tying the last knot behind her neck. "Yeah, how did you-"

"Then why does it matter what everyone else thinks? I bet hubby likes the way you look. I mean, we're girls, let's be real. You basically have the body of a goddess. If I were him, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of you!"

Robin blushes, and not because of Anna's hint of a pseudo girl-to-girl confession.

"In fact, I know most guys like curvaceous girls. I bet he feels like the luckiest fella ever!"

"Anna?"

"Yes, dear?" Robin distinctly here's the telltale sound of a book page being turned.

"How does this one look?"

In one fluid motion, Anna turns back around, taking care to leave her hands hidden behind her back. Her jaw drops. "I think this is the one, you sex kitten, you."She even claws at the air, much like a cat would.

Robin smiles. "I think so too. Now, would you mind returning the roster to my coat pocket?" Anna blanches.

...

Stepping out into the sunlight, Robin couldn't help but feel completely self-conscious. Sure the bikini looked fantastic on her(Anna said so about six times as she paid for it), but that didn't stop her from feeling like she was walking around in her smallclothes. If anything, it felt even more feminine and intimate than they did. She just had to keep telling herself that the other girls were just as exposed as she was.

As she made her way through the sand to get to the waters edge, she stopped abruptly when a low whistle was aimed her way.

"Damn, Robin! You look mighty fine! Maybe I should have married you."

"Shut up, Vaike." She flipped her long white hair around, feeling a bit sassier. He always seemed to know just how to annoy her. "What on earth are you wearing?"

He let loose the cheesiest attempt at a 'come-hither' smile. "Yeah, you like it? It's called a 'speedo'. That Anna chick says they're all the rave among hot guys. And you know, 'The Vaike' is a rather good-looking guy."

She smothers a laugh.

"Uh-huh. Say, you haven't see Henry around, have you?"

"Pfft, what do you need him for when you've got 'The Vaike'! Huuurgh!' He immediately began to flex for her, proving just how much more brawn he had than brains. It was truly awful to behold.

"Oh, wait! Found him!"

Shoving him out of the way as hard as she could(he lost his balance and fell face first into the surf, "See you, Vaike!"), she took off down the beach, having to slow her pace when she realized that the bikini top didn't provide as much support as her brassiere did. It didn't help that it attracted the attentions of Chrom, Gaius, Virion, and much to her horror, Ricken.

"Maybe I'll just walk..." She decided. They were never going to let her live that down.

Finally reaching the tide pools, she crossed her legs and locked her hands behind her back as she called out for him. He peeked over the rocks edge and smiled.

"Hey! Where've you been?"

"Oh, you know, shopping..."

"Oh, yeah? For what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come down here and I'll tell you."

"'K, just a sec."

He stood up straight and moved to jump down from his perch on the rocks, landing cat-like in the sand at her feet. She was very pleased to see him in a swimsuit of his own. Trunks, thankfully, and shirtless.

"So, what'd you buy?"

"My Gods, Henry, you really can't be so clueless. If you weren't so cute, I'd hit you."

He just smiled and giggled.

"THIS. I bought this." Hooking her thumbs under the strings of her bikini top, she smiled herself when the look on his face turned to one of embarrassment.

"Oh, WOW! I thought you looked different, ahaha!"

"You like it? I had to try on a few before I found one I liked, and one that fit..."

"Yeah, I like it! Purple looks really good on you! But..."

"But...what?" "It's a little revealing, don't you think? I mean, it's already bad enough that the guys talk about you, er, in THAT way."

She raised an eyebrow.

"They know better than to say anything when I'm around though, afraid that I'll curse 'em till they bleed. Boy would I too!" His expression darkened at the thought.

"They talk about me? Is it...bad?"

"Eh, not terrible. They like these," he chuckled as he groped her chest. She slapped his hands away. "And this." Reaching both arms around her, he gripped her behind, drawing her close to him.

She scowled at him.

"Sorry, too much?" He released his hold down there and instead moved his hands to the small of her back.

"Of course not. But you're never so assertive. I like it." She purred the last part into his ear.

He laughed. "Yeah, well, Gaius is watching. I can't let him think you're available, now can I? Especially while you're wearing this." He gently tugged on the the knot at the back of her neck, smile disappearing when it was too much force, jaw dropping when it came undone to let her goods spill out.

She froze and he stared.

"You, are so dead..."

...

Anna is so fun, I should write her more:3


	7. Chapter 7

Scramble

Part Two

"Wow, Robin! What a cute swimsuit!" Robin turns away from the counter at the compliment.

Skipping up the sandy path is Lissa, decked out in a yellow suit of her own, and Maribelle, wearing a dainty, seafoam green bikini.

"Oh, thank you. I suppose it does it look rather nice on me." She tugged lightly at the purple fabric. Lissa wasn't her first admirer of the day and even though she started out unsure of herself, after having received so many compliments, she found herself quite fond of the bikini. She was even feeling more confident and didn't mind the stares she was garnering. For the most part.

"I must say, you are quite right. The color and design accentuate your figure rather nicely." Maribelle added with a twirl of her opened parasol. Even in a bathing suit she still managed to stay classy.

"Heh, thanks. It took a while but I finally managed to find a swimsuit that I liked. And that fit me."

"You mean to fit your big boobs!" Lissa giggled out.

Maribelle quickly hid her own giggle behind her hand. Robin sighed in minor agitation.

"As princess-like as ever, I see."

"Oh, come on Robin, don't act like they're not a big deal. I mean," the princess smiled mischievously. "They're literally a BIG deal, haha!"

Robin rolled her eyes at the poor joke. "Henry already used that line on me. Surely you could be a tiny bit more original, Lissa. Uh, not that I want to keep hearing jokes about my body..."

The princess just shrugged before heading up to the counter to place an order. It was a juice bar of sorts that offered up all kinds of tropical fruit drinks and desserts. Robin had been in the process of ordering a dragonfruit smoothie for herself when the Dynamic Duo showed up. Actually, she was very grateful for the interruption because the bartender kept trying to steal glances at her chest, like she was completely oblivious to his pervy ways. If only he knew who he was dealing with.

"Speaking of Henry, why isn't he here with you now?" Maribelle questioned. She continued to twirl her parasol as she followed after Lissa, not acting at all like she cared about Robins answer.

"Because." Robin stated shortly. She glanced off to the side, not really wanting to explain herself.

"'Because' is NOT an answer, dear." Snorted Maribelle. She took her place on the barstool next to Lissa and patted the empty one closest to Robin, indicating the she should take a seat as well. Robin obliged.

"Yeah, he's always with you. Where is he?" Lissa chimed in.

"On the beach. At least, that's where I told him to stay."

Lissa diverted her attention to the ceiling of the thatched gazebo, like she was thinking. "Oh yeah! I did see him snooping around in the tide pools earlier. He threw a dead crab at Ricken." Lissa chuckled. "Why'd you tell him to stay down there? One too many bad jokes?"

"Now THERE'S something I can agree to..." Maribelle mumbled.

Robin scrunched her nose. Only she was allowed to call his jokes bad. "I gave him a mission. That's why, oh!"

The bartender placed a drink in front of each girl, Robin last, and winked at the tactician. She felt the urge to teach him a lesson in fire magic, particularly, high level fire magic.

"Mmm, this is soo gooood!" moaned Lissa through a mouthful of banana smoothie.

Robin swirled the straw around in her own drink. It was bright pink in color and looked like nothing she had ever seen. Taking a sip, she couldn't help but moan in delight herself.

"Positively divine! You really know how to pick the best of anything, my darling Lissa."

"Heehee! Oh please, Maribelle! How's yours Robin?"

"Better than anything I've ever tasted." She replies dreamily.

They allow each other to taste the different drinks, marveling at how fantastic each one is when Maribelle decides to continue the conversation from before.

"Soo, what kind of mission did you give your husband? He must be taking it seriously if he hasn't even made an appearance yet."

Robin sighs in defeat, propping her elbow on the counter to rest her face in her hand. "I may have told him to count the total number of species living in the tide pools...and that I expect a full report on the subject later..."

The two younger girls stared at her. Maribelle scoffed.

"Why on earth would you ask him to do something as ridiculous as that?"

Feeling like she was being out on the spot, Robin flushed. Was she on trial? What was with all the questions all of a sudden?

"Because!" She snapped back. "He's being overbearing and I had to occupy him with something! He wouldn't give me five minutes to myself." She went back to stirring her drink, feeling a tad guilty at her outburst, mostly because her treatment of her own husband sounded awful. But he had been hovering and he wouldn't listen to reason.

"So sorry Robin, but I fail to understand your plight. If you're going to shout at me then help me help you by detailing further." replied Maribelle, ever the arrogant diplomat. She delicately dabbed at her lips with a handkerchief after she took another sip from her drink.

Robin pinched the bridge of her nose, unbelieving that she was being forced into girl talk with two of the Shepherds biggest mouths. What made it worse was that there was absolutely no way in ensuring their silence; whatever Robin told them, everyone else would know within the hour. What was even more worse was that they could be just as sly as she, getting the information they wanted while the victim looked on helplessly.

No sense in fighting the inevitable.

She caved.

"Ugh, it's just that ever since he noticed my swimsuit, he's been clingy, clingier than usual. And he tried at least four times to cover me up. First, he threw a towel over me when I was relaxing in a beach chair. Then, he tried to bury me in sand when I fell asleep in the shade of our umbrella. I got pretty mad over that one..."

Lissa stifled a laugh.

"I'm still trying to get the sand out of...down there... After that, we went for a swim and when Chrom joined us, he submerged me under the water. Chrom had to intervene and I was pretty mad over that one as well. You know what he did the fourth time?"

They shook their heads.

"I went to take another nap, not in the sand this time. And when I woke up, I was surrounded by beach umbrellas! He literally built an umbrella fort around me! And he sealed them together with magic! I had to tunnel underneath them to get out!"

Lissa burst out with laughter upon hearing his last attempt at keeping her from the public eye.

"He also threatened to curse Donny with blindness if he didn't look the other way. Nearly scared the poor boy half to death."

"Huh, I never figured him to be the jealous type." said Lissa.

"I was not even aware that you, or any woman for that matter, instilled such strong emotion in him." added Maribelle.

"And what exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?" asked Robin accusingly. She was well aware of his social deficiencies but that absolutely did not mean that he was oblivious.

"No need to be defensive, I am merely surprised that he is at all aware of your feminine charms. But then again, how could he not be. You are married and I should assume that means access to them. And according to your accounts, he is rather overzealous in keeping them for himself." The noblewoman huffed girlishly before ending her speech. " I find it quite sweet actually."

"Sweet," Robin repeated, surprise in her tone. "You find his childish logic sweet?"

"Of course. And if we're being honest, I must admit that I wasn't even sure if he knew what sexuality was, if he could even be attracted. Well, obviously he likes curves and I was wrong to judge him. Forgive me?"

Robin blinked in confusion. "You're...forgiven, I guess..."

"Oh, wonderful!" Maribelle downed the last of her drink. "And if it helps you to feel any better, I believe he's simply being overprotective. I've been hearing up and down the beach that you are quite the showstopper. Oh, he'd be insane to let you out of his sight. How he fell for your obvious trap is beyond me."

"It's called 'love', Maribelle." piped up Lissa with a sweet grin.

"Indeed. If love be a trap, then he most surely is trapped."

Robin groaned.

"Gods bless it, Maribelle, you really have a way with words."

"Well, thank you, darling. I do pride myself in my abilities to articulate in a manner-"

Before she could finish, Robin spun her barstool around, jumped to her feet and made for the sandy trail that would lead her out of the jungle and back to the open beach.

"Where are you going, Robin!" Lissa called out.

Both girls turned in their seats to watch their tactician stop only for a moment.

"To find my husband. I think it's time to collect on my report." And without another word she was off.

...

She found him crouching precariously on the edge of a rock, wrist-deep in a shallow pool.

"Henry?"

He turned his head but kept his hands in the water.

"Ah, you're back! Good timing!"

"Yeah, I thought now would be a good time to share your discoveries with me."

"Yeaah, about that...I tried to count all the different creatures, there's just too many of them! I got up to about twenty before I gave up, ahaha!"

She brought a hand to her lips to hide her laugh. He noticed.

Standing up straight(he wobbled a bit, causing her to react by grabbing his hand before he toppled over the edge and into the waiting water below), his expression went from cheery to worried.

"You're not mad, are you? That I didn't do what you asked?"

Her smile dropped. "What? No! No, I'm not mad. Honestly, it was a silly thing to ask of you anyways."

"I did try though. I've been up here ever since you left."

She giggled. "I can tell, you're completely soaked!"

He laughed with her. "Yeah, the waves get pretty rough up. Be careful, Ricken already fell in twice."

"Oh, poor kid!" She cooed, thinking about tiny Ricken slipping into the crashing waves.

"He's fine. Won't come back up here though. Say, Robin? Are you mad about what I did earlier? The towel, and sand, and umbrellas I mean..."

Smiling sweetly, she placed both of her hand on his face, kissing him gently. "No, I'm not mad."

"Oh, good! Because I found this and wanted to give it to you." He reached into the pocket of his shorts and held out a small, white ball. It shone with a slight rainbow sheen.

"You found a pearl?! Do you have any idea how rare these are?!"

"Is that what it's called? I just thought it looked pretty, ahaha."

"Oh, come here, you!"

Forgetting his warning of the slippery rocks, she leapt on him, flinging her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his mouth. Then they lost their balance and down they went, right into the ocean below.


	8. Chapter 8

Scramble

Part Three

...

The last of the Summer Scramble Series before we leave the Hotrealms all together. Also, this one is a bit more on the mature side with questionable content. That being said, let's all be adults about it and have a good laugh.

:3

...

"AAAAHHHH! OH, GODS, OW, OW, OWWW!" Robin howled in pain. She frantically splashed about, trying desperately to keep her head above water, sputtering through copious amounts of saltwater that just would not cease in its rolling waves. Paddling as best and as fast as she could to get back to the shore, she felt something brush against the inside of her leg, striking again with a shock just as severe as before. She yelped even louder at the burning sensation that coursed painfully through the sensitive area of her inner thigh. Then she felt her leg beginning to cramp as her head unceremoniously ducked beneath the waves. Panicking and choking on water, she forced herself upwards, gasping for air as the thought that she just might drown crossed her mind.

"ROBIN!"

Then, like the superman that he is, Frederick charged from the beach to the waters edge, diving headlong into the surf and executing a perfect forward crawl stroke, reaching her in less than a minute. He lifted her head above water level and helped her to wrap her arms around his neck, then kicked off back to the beach, one arm held securely about her waist as the other pulled them along. A small crowd had gathered at the edge, awaiting their return to determine the exact nature of the rescue, and a few rushed forward to help bring her to the safety of land. Chrom lifted her from Frederick's grasp and carried her a few feet up the beach to a waiting towel that Sumia had graciously spread out for her. He placed her gently on the ground, taking care to not jostle her more than necessary.

"Are you alright?! What happened?!"

She clenched her jaw tight, breathing heavily, and tried not to cry. Her method didn't work. The pain was so excruciating that there was no stopping the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

"Chrom! Look!" Sumia pointed anxiously at the tacticians right leg.

By now, everyone who witnessed the incident had circled around her, forming a protective barrier between her and everything else, and at Sumia's demand, looked as well.

"Nosey rubbernecks..." Robin thought miserably.

"What in Gods name..."he muttered, concern apparent in his voice.

She turned her attention down to her leg, not liking the tone in his voice one bit. She gasped when she saw large, angry welts streaked across her flesh, one running the length of her thigh and the other wrapping around and upwards on the inside. They were slightly raised and bore a raw, red color. Cautiously, she grazed a finger over the largest of the welts. It felt hot to the touch and completely unpleasant. She hissed when the gentle contact elicited another bout of stinging agony.

"What caused it?" asked Sumia.

She knelt next to Robin, placing an arm around her shoulders as a small gesture of comfort.

"I-I don't know... I barely felt it when it brushed against me. I couldn't s-see anything either..." She shivered from the pain.

"Someone, go get Anna. She lives here, she'll know what caused this. And hurry!" Chrom ordered anyone from the surrounding group.

She didn't turn to see who ran off.

Closing her eyes tight to ride out another wave of hot pain, she nearly sobbed when Henry's voice carried over the crowd, as cheerful and as curious as ever.

"Hey, what's all the hullabaloo? Someone die?" He squeezed his way in between Gaius and Vaike("Robin!"). His expression changed to one of uninhibited worry as he jumped over Chroms kneeling form to land awkwardly at her side. "What happened?! Who did this to you?!"

She shook her head. "Something in the w-water. I c-couldn't see it..."

"In the water?" He repeated, features darkening as if he were trying to recall anything that lived in water that could injure someone like this. "You mean, like a fish?"

"I don't think a fish did this..." Chrom trailed off.

"What does it feel like?" whispered Sumia. She kept grimacing at the sight of the deepening welts.

Robin gritted her teeth. "It stings. And burns. Something fierce."

She choked back a sob and Henry wrapped his arms around her, effectively taking her from Sumia to cradle her against his chest. She languidly dropped her head, taking small solace in his presence.

"Ya know..." Gaius jumped in, scratching his chin. "I overheard some of the locals earlier. Talking about one of their friends who had also been stung out in the water. Can't remember what they called the thing but I distinctly heard them say to piss on the wound."

The entirety of the group snapped their heads in his direction.

"That's sick, Gaius!" cried Sumia, voicing the opinions of everyone else.

"What?!" He shrugged his shoulders. "Urine is sterile! It acts almost like alcohol! And it's supposed to be soothing! Or so they said..."

His defense was shaky at best and Sumia and Chrom both glared at him, silently chastising him for even suggesting such a disgusting route. That didn't stop him though.

"If ya want, I do have a full bladder. We could do it right here, right now."

"GAIUS!" Chrom and Sumia cried in unison.

"Ohhh, no you don't! If anyone is gonna pee on my wife, it's gonna be me!" Henry yelled. He even threw his hand straight up to let everyone know who was talking. To show he meant business, he let go of Robin, hands moving down to the hem of his trunks, the knot that tied them together being pulled to come undone.

"NO ONE IS GOING TO URINATE ON MEEE!" Robin practically screamed.

A hush fell over the crowd and Henry stopped untying his trunks.

"Exactly! That's so gross! We should call a healer instead!" nodded Sumia, the glare set firmly on her face.

Chrom nodded along with her.

"But what if Gaius is right? What if it'll help and the healer says we should do it anyways?" asked Henry.

He had on a look of solid determination as he yelled over his shoulder to the crowd, "Someone get me something to drink! A lot! I'll drink all day if that's what it takes!"

"Or you could just let me do it." said Gaius quietly. "Seriously, I have to piss like a pegasus..." No one heard him.

Taking heed to Henry's request, Ricken snapped to attention, turning half a step away before quickly turning back around. "What should I get you? Any preference?"

"Um, something full of vitamins and nutrients should do the trick. That'll do wonders for her stings!"

Ricken nodded and ran off.

"No, WAIT! WATER! GET ME WATER!"

"YOU'LL GET HIM NOTHING, RICKEN!" Robin shouted after the young mage.

He kept running.

Dropping her head back onto Henry's shoulder, she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. "Sweetie, it's very nice of you to want to make me feel b-better..." She grimaced as the pain continued to pulse hot and electric without any signs of letting up soon. "But I don't think that's such a good idea, and certainly not in front of everyone..."

He mumbled back. "But you're in pain. What if it helps? I don't care that they're around..."

She tightened her mouth shut before muttering that she cared. He opened his own to argue the point more but was cut off by the approaching merchants voice.

"OUT OF THE WAY, EVERYONE! LICENSED MEDIC COMING THROUGH!"

A few of the onlookers made room by moving a few steps back, allowing the red-headed woman to enter the circle, a sack swinging from her hand.

"Hey! Shove over, will ya?!" Anna swung her sack wide, knocking Vaike backwards into the sand. "So, I hear you were stung while out in the water?" She bent down in front of Robin to gauge the intensity of the wounds.

"Yeah... It happened so fast. I didn't even know there was something there until I felt it."

"Mhm, most people never see an attack coming, mostly because they live below the water level. Wow, that baby gotcha' good!" Anna set about emptying the contents of her sack, humming the whole while, a non-hindered smile on her lips.

"Uh, soo, what exactly did this? If you wouldn't mind informing us." asked Chrom, brows knitted together to show interest and concern.

"Hm? Oh! Right, you hail from a different environment. She was stung by a jellyfish. A rather nasty one too..." She commented, bending low to get a closer look at Robins thigh. "But don't worry, it's not uncommon to get stung. They tend to drift close to shore due to the waves."

"So, it was a fish!" said Henry excitedly.

"Haha, not in the sense that you're thinking, cutie! They don't look anything like a fish, for one. More like a big blob of jelly with tentacles." She said this as she twisted off the cap of a jar filled with green goop.

"Jelly?! There are fish out there...MADE OF JELLY?!" cried Gaius, his sweet tooth very clearly getting the better of him. "Is it...is it edible?"

"Well, a gelatinous-like substance, I guess I should say. Edible? Yeees, you could eat them. I don't recommend it though. Either way, I wish you the best of luck in catching one without ending up like our little beauty right here!" The merchant ended her spiel with a slap to the tacticians uninjured leg, causing her to flinch.

"How about NOT hurting me further..." growled Robin.

Anna apologized with a laugh and a smile before she tucked two fingers into the goop, scooping up a healthy amount to slather over the welts. The gel was cool and every bit as soothing as Robin had been hoping for. Taking pleasure in the welcome relief, she leaned back slowly to rest once again against Henry's form. She smiled tiredly when she felt him slacken his posture, allowing her to relax more comfortably.

"What is that you're using?" Robin asked curiously. "It feels like the Gods own medicine, numbing and cooling and...nice..." She sighed pleasurably.

"It's a salve that we make using plants that grow in the jungle. Extremely useful for treating jellyfish stings. Takes away the pain while simultaneously repairing the damaged skin. The look on your face suggests that it's already working." Anna beamed.

"It is quite a relief."

"See! No need for anyone to uh, you know, _pee_ on it..." spoke up Sumia shyly.

"Bahaha! Please tell me you weren't really going to try that!" Anna roared. She slapped her forehead at their stupid idea.

"Why? It doesn't work?" asked Henry.

"No! It's an old wives tale with zero merit! If anything, it'd just agitate the wound more!"

"But Gaius says he heard some locals say that's what you should do. You saying they're wrong?"

The merchant twisted on her knees to stare down Gaius who looked like a deer in the headlights.

"You must've heard them wrong, hotstuff. Everyone who's ever been stung by a jellyfish knows that you don't urinate on the stings!" She turned back to Robin. "Now then, you should start to notice the swelling and marks going down within a few days. In the meantime, you," Anna pointed her two goopey fingers at Henry. "Might want to take her somewhere that's quiet and out of the way. You know, to relax!" She finished with a wink.

As if to convince him that Anna's advice was well worth taking, Robin gazed up into his face with a delirious smile and fluttered her eyelashes, a far-off look playing on her own face. "Yes, Henry, take me somewhere that's quuiiet..." She cooed, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek.

"Ah, hehe okay...but, why are you acting strange all of a sudden?"

"You're the strange one..." She pouted, jutting her bottom lip out in mock irritation. It was quickly replaced with a more amorous expression. Lolling her head from side to side, she continued to stroke his cheek.

"Uh-oh, looks like she's one of the few..." sighed Anna. She scraped off the excess gel from Robins leg and dipped it back into the jar, sealing it tightly with the lid once again.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Henry asked, his cheeks coloring slightly at Robins continued efforts of seduction. Still, he made no move to stop her.

Chrom scooted away, his cheeks taking on a pink hue of their own.

"Weeell, see, we can't make this salve without the pollen of a very specific flower. It's toxins are perfect for counteracting the toxins of the jellyfish." The red-headed merchant stated matter-of-factly. She dropped her head, staring into the fine sand, a hand reaching to scratch the back her head as she visibly became uneasy, a shy smile spreading across her lips. "However, when the flowers toxins are absorbed into the skin, it causes one hundred percent of patients to become loopy, like in a drugged state. But don't worry! It's totally harmless! The effects will wear off in an hour or two!" She added quickly, waving her hands about animatedly when Chrom yelled about her drugging his tactician.

"But you just said she's 'one of the few'. How can she 'one of the few' when she's also part of the hundred percent? That doesn't make any sense!" interjected Sumia.

"Hehe, yeah, I did say that...well, while the loopiness affects all patients...some...a very small percentage in fact...also experience um, romantically-inclined symptoms, much like an aphrodisiac would cause, hehe..."

To prove Anna's point, and with drug-induced strength(she seemed to forget that she had been in worlds of pain just mere moments ago), Robin flipped herself around, grabbed Henry by the shoulders and leapt on top of him, pinning him to the ground. The look in her eyes was somewhere between affectionate and predatory. The crowd immediately began to disperse in a hurried, embarrassed fashion.

"Robin? What're you doing?" Henry laughed, moving to take hold of her wrists so that he could sit up.

Manipulating his movements, she clasped his wrists instead and slammed them back into the sand, her smile becoming more and more sensual. Sitting in his lap, she ground her hips into his, which earned her a small, satisfactory whimper.

"What's the matter, babe? You were soo eager to do that _one_ thing only moments ago. You even said that you wouldn't mind if people were watching..." She lowered her head to lick the corner of his mouth, tightening her hold on him when he tried to wriggle free.

"Ahaha, and you said no, remember?"

She let go of his wrists, sitting up straight, still firmly in his lap. "The past is irrelevant. I'm saying yes now." Giving him the most angelic smile she could, she crawled her way back on top of him, blowing a kiss his way.

"WELL! I think I've seen enough suggestive activity for one day!" Anna clapped her hands together, breaking the awkward tension to allow herself, Chrom, and Sumia to give the canoodling couple the slip. Throwing her sack over her shoulder, she jumped to her feet before offering one more pearl of wisdom. "Remember, cutie! Two words." She held up one finger. "Quiet," she held up a second finger. "Place."

And with that being said and done, she raced away like a bat out of hell, Chrom and Sumia not far behind.

"Now then, shall we?" Robin said, purring seductively into his ear.

"Hehe, uh, if you say so..."

A triumphant grin on her lips, she moved further down his body till her hands had the knot of his trunks ready to come undone.

"Henry! Henry, I'm baaaack!"

Robin threw her head back in frustration, slumping her body at the constant interruptions. It was one thing the exhibit lewd behavior in front of adults. It was entirely something else when your audience was Ricken.

The boy came to a halt next to them, panting heavily as he offered a coconut to Henry.

"S-sorry it took so long...the bar-bartender wouldn't sell me any tro-tropical drinks...called me a child and that it would be illegal, pfft..." He didn't seem to notice that something way out of his age group was about to go down. "H-here, it's all he would give me..."

He placed the coconut in Henrys hand and moved his own hands to his knees, doubling over to catch his breath. Robin quirked an eyebrow. The distraction Ricken brought was perfect and with enough force to push her off of him but not enough to hurt her, Henry scrambled to his feet and ran to hide behind the young mage.

"Sorry, Robin but you're a little scary when you're like this, ahaha..."

She was on her feet, determination on her face and a mission in her heart. "You get back over here right now." She demanded, taking up a defensive stance.

Ricken watched on in confusion.

"Mmm, no!"

"Henry..." She replied dangerously. "Get over here and MAKE LOVE TO ME."

Rickens eyes about bugged out of his head at the intimate vocabulary.

"No!"

"HENRY!" She lunged for him around the younger boy, failing to get a hold of him before he took off down the beach, turning for a moment to throw the coconut at her feet in the hopes of tripping her up. It worked. Crap. He was really in trouble in now.


	9. Chapter 9

Springs

They sure do go on vacation a lot-_- Lissa mentions "sharing girl stories and gossiping about the guys" in her Hot Springs Pre-Battle Quote. You can thank her for your delightfully girlish giggles. In other words, do read with caution.

...

It wasn't every day she was treated like a celebrity. Or any of her fellows for that matter. The moment they entered the Bathrealm, they were pounced upon with fanfare and applause, an Anna stepping forward to greet them most enthusiastically. She explained the nature of their vacation and invited them all to cash in on the benefits, both healing and leisurely, of her famous hot springs. They all looked around at each other, agreeing that they could use such a break before throwing caution to the wind and settling into full-blown relaxation mode. The dark-haired Anna smiled pleasantly as she ushered the group to the separated changing rooms so that the guys and girls could switch out of their every-day clothes and into something more appropriate for the baths.

Robin was both shocked and pleased when Anna presented her with a custom yukata, the fabric a rich violet with enormous yellow flowers patterned all over. The merchant reasoned that her sister in the Hotrealm informed her of the tacticians body issues, so she took the liberty of preparing a specially designed yukata for her in advance. The platinum-blonde was most appreciative when it fit her near perfectly. Sure, the front of her yukata flared open to reveal her ample cleavage, and the slit of the robe just so happened to rest openly upon her right leg, but they only served to add to the appeal. She loved the color and pattern and was just so happy to finally put clothing on her voluptuous body that fit from the get-go. Her favorite part of the garment? The yellow obi that wrapped snugly around her midsection, ending in an elaborate bow at her back and the gigantic flower that was pinned to the sash.

"And it's soo comfortable!" She thought happily to herself as she examined her reflection in the full-length mirror.

All around her, the other lady Shepherds were given their own yukata to don as well, each one as different as their wearers. Lissa in yellow, Maribelle in pink, Sumia in lavender, Cordelia in white...the scene was heartwarming and the atmosphere contented. She smiled lightly when the thought crossed her mind that, much like Anna, she had sisters of her very own, taking the forms of each of the girls.

As she thought lovingly of the girls, a bathhouse assistant approached her with a low bow, a wooden tray with various hairpins and combs displayed in its cubicles in hand. "Please, Milady, allow me to style your hair before you leave for the springs." She said politely. Her own dark hair was done up in a tight bun at the back of her head, decorative clips holding her strands in place.

"Oh, is it necessary? I'm afraid I'm more than used to wearing my hair freely."

The assistant smiled kindly. "Of course not, although it is customary here in the Highlands. May I at least pin back this section with a clip? Your look shall be complete then."

Robin nodded, smiling kindly in return. "I think that should be fine."

She lowered to the floor, tucking her knees under her as the assistant took a seat at her side. She ran a comb through Robins tresses, smoothing it along gently before taking a lock of white hair and clipping it back with another large, yellow flower.

"There," The finality in the assistants voice told Robin that she was finished. "Now you are ready for the springs."

With one last bow, the assistant left Robin to weave her way through the crowd of chipper women, searching for any other ladies in need of styling. Wondering if the guys were being treated to equal amounts of preparation, Robin turned quickly at the sound of her name. She saw Lissa and Maribelle, Sumia and Cordelia waving her down from the exit of the women's changing room, all four of them dressed up just as much as she was.

"Come on, Robin! We're gonna head out to the women's bath." chirped Lissa, bouncing slightly from her excitement.

"Ah, I was kind of hoping to find Henry so we could have some time to ourselves, actually..."

Lissa pouted. "Boooo! Come with us for a bit! You can snuggle with him later. Besides, I doubt the guys took as long as we did to get ready, he's probably already in the men's bath by now."

The princess did speak some sense. The women had to go through all sorts of beauty rituals before being deemed ready to venture out to the hot springs. Beauty took time and with the girls nowhere in sight, why would any of the men wait around? And honestly, girl time did hold a certain sway over her mind at the moment. She could carve out some alone time with her husband later.

Giving in to Lissa's demand, all five girls hurriedly left the changing room to wander the stone path that would lead them to the outdoor spring designated specifically for women. Many other stone trails diverged from the main, leading to springs with various properties and gender restrictions, but following the posted signs got them to their destination with no difficulties. Robin had been tempted to follow the trail that would take her to the men's spring, curious to see if Henry really was there but thought better of it. She was definitely not interested in seeing any of the other guys nude and shook the disturbing thought from her mind.

"Oh, WOW!" marveled Lissa.

Her sentiments exactly.

The spring stretched out far and wide, the milky blue water hot and inviting. Oversized boulders of volcanic rock created a barrier around the spring and were dusted lightly with snow while wooden awnings arched over the water. Steam rose in wisps and swirls to settle thick in the air and with the area surrounded by trees of a vermillion color, the only word Robin could think to describe the scene in front of her was 'ethereal'.

"Well, don't just stand there, mouths agape. Don't you know you look like fish?" chimed Lissa. "Let's get out of these clothes and into the water!" In a flurry of fabric and sashes, Lissa had her yukata thrown against a rock before dipping into the pool.

Her enthusiasm was contagious and in a matter of seconds, Robin and the others were doing the same. Robin especially took pains to ensure that her yukata would not be ruined by folding it neatly and placing it well away from the water to avoid any accidental splashing. She wanted it in pristine condition when she finally decided to leave the women's spring to hunt down her husband. The look on his face would be well worth it.

"Oh Gods..." Cordelia moaned, sinking back against a boulder until the water was at her collarbone. "I've died and gone to heaven."

"You can say that again..." said Sumia, relaxing next to her friend.

Not waiting a minute more, Robin stepped carefully into the spring, bending low to allow the water to lap over her body, warming every inch of her skin. The hot water and steam mixed with the earthy smell of the rocks and fresh scent of snow made the experience mind-numbingly wonderful and she could only compare it to one other thing, something she wasn't even really thinking about until she said it. Taking Cordelia's other side, she tilted her head back, letting it gently come into contact with the boulder, sighing in absolute bliss as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"This might just be better than sex."

Robin stared wide-eyed when silence fell over the girls.

"Did I just say that out loud?"

"I definitely heard it." smirked Cordelia.

Lissa chuckled behind her hands, Maribelle gave her a knowing smile, and Sumia remained quiet altogether. She could feel her cheeks going hot(and not because of the spring) as she opened her mouth to backtrack, to explain what she meant but she only stuttered, too embarrassed to say anything more. How utterly mortifying.

"Well, I'm glad it was you to break the ice and not me." piped up Maribelle. "I've wondered exactly how to begin a conversation on the matter but it was our ever-brilliant tactician who brought it up. Bravo, Robin. It was so eloquently put too."

Robin glared. "Are you mocking me?"

"Why would I ever do that? I'm thanking you! You see, lately my husband has been ever so rudely inattentive in the bedroom. It has me quite frustrated and I was hoping you ladies could give me some ideas."

Sumia remained quiet but Cordelia and Lissa began to chatter away about...

Robin clapped her hands over her ears. "Oh Gods, what hell have I stumbled into?!"

The four girls once again had their undivided attention on her.

"Hell?! Robin, please, do not be such a prude. It is a natural occurrence and you yourself are married. Do not tell me that you are unaccustomed to such topics because we both know you'd be lying." Maribelle snapped, uncaring of the sensitivity of the subject.

"She is right, Robin. There's really no need to behave childishly over such a thing." added Cordelia, which was bizarre in itself since the Pegasus Knight and noblewoman practically never saw eye to eye.

Robin continued to glare. "I am NOT a prude! And forgive me for not wanting to hear about your sexual escapades! I suppose I'm just old-fashioned that way!"

"Makes me wonder...if maybe you're frustrated as well." sneered Maribelle.

"She does appear a bit too uptight..." giggled Lissa as she leaned closer to her friend. They both stared her down, like predator to prey.

This was not at all how she had pictured her trip to the women's hot spring.

"I am NOT uptight! And I am not frustrated! I'm perfectly satisfied in my marriage and it is YOU," she pointed at Maribelle. "Who is the frustrated one, remember?"

She felt Cordelia slide an arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay, Robin. No marriage is perfect. I mean, I bet Henry is into all kinds of kinks. It's not your fault." The red-headed knight offered her an understanding smile.

"What the HELL is _that_ supposed to mean?!" She practically shouted.

Cordelia let go of her abruptly, nearly jumping into Sumia's lap.

"Would you calm down, Robin? We're just having fun with you. You know, girl talk!" said Lissa, obviously trying to ease the tension that she helped create.

"Some girl talk! You three are insufferable! Can you believe this nonsense, Sumia?!"

Sumia shifted a little uncomfortably in her spot. "Actually, I was kind of hoping for some pointers myself..."

"Pointers?! What is this, Intercourse 101?! Where we all learn the basics of love making then put the theory into practice?! Are we supposed to give demonstrations as well?! You want a pointer, well, here's a pointer for you; DON'T ASK FOR POINTERS!"

"Robin! Soothe your hackles, you're sounding like a madwoman!" cried Maribelle, raising her eyebrows at the tactician when she made eye contact.

She was breathing heavily from all of her huffing-and-puffing, shoulders rising with each breath, water splashing back and forth over her chest. Closing her eyes, she took one, deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Robin, it was just a joke. We didn't mean anything by what we said..." ventured Cordelia. Sumia peeked around her arm, a timid look across her face.

Giving up, Robin flopped backwards against the boulder, hissing when her head met the rock with a small smack. "No, you're right...you're all right!..." She sighed mournfully.

The girls shared awkward glances.

"About what exactly?..." asked Cordelia tentatively.

"Quiet, Cordelia! Can't you see that she is in desperate need of a comforting shoulder and wise ear? Now then, dear," Maribelle flung her blonde curls over her shoulder as she moved over next to Robin, wrapping an arm around her back. "Tell your friend Maribelle what's distressing you."

"How rude..." Cordelia growled under her breath. No one was listening though, too enthralled by Robins out-of-character rant.

"Ugh, I can't! It's too personal..."

"How absurd! We're grown women and we're married. Nothing is personal when we've all experienced the same thing. Please, go on."

"It's bizarre. I was blissfully unaware until this place reminded me for some reason. There's hardly a connection between the two things... I mean, this place is so wonderful, and...he's soo terrible..." She confessed with a furious blush, dropping her face into her hands.

"Huh! I did have my suspicions, I'm afraid. He never did strike me as a master of the bedroom." consoled Maribelle.

"Well, I might be exaggerating that a bit...he's not terrible, he's just not as imaginative as I'd hoped he'd be."

"Really? I was so certain... He does have some strange hobbies. I thought he'd be the kinky one..." spoke up Cordelia. R

obin furrowed her brow. "You think about him?"

"Huh? Oh, Gods no! I just...had this preconceived notion is all!" She waved her hands about the water, frantically dispelling any ill tension that might arise from her off-hand comment.

Robin just lolled her head, willing to bet the knights parapraxis had more truth to it than she was letting on. She didn't particularly care at the moment though. "Yeah, well, that would make two of us..."

"Poor dear," Maribelle patted her back sadly. "Sexual frustration is the worst. If your partner is lacking the skill..."

"He does enjoy it, doesn't he?" questioned Cordelia. She managed to recover from her foot-in-mouth experience.

"That's equivalent to asking if he enjoys battle. And we all know just how much he loves battle." Robin said with an eye-roll. "That's not the problem. The problem is that I end up doing all of the work."

"Have you mentioned this to him?" Sumia queried, a shy slant to her voice.

"No, how am I supposed to tell him that he's boring in bed? He's more sensitive than you think..." She sighed, feeling like an awful wife for revealing their secrets. Well, not all of their secrets...

"You don't necessarily have to call him 'boring', just tell him to be more proactive!" offered Lissa with a smile.

Robin gave her a quizzical look, suddenly realizing that she was receiving sexual advice from her princess.

"Precisely! Or, you could just slap him upside the head till he gets the hint. They respond to such things in my experience." revealed Maribelle with an evil grin.

Robin suddenly felt bad for Gaius.

"He's not a dog, Maribelle..."

The noblewoman simply shrugged. "Maybe not, but most men are not naturally in tune with a ladies needs. I suggest correcting the issue swiftly and promptly if you wish for more fulfilling encounters."

"I understand what you're saying, Maribelle, most enlightening as always," Robin said sarcastically. "Too bad it's something I already knew. Looks like your wisdom is of no use here." She finished with a click of her tongue.

Maribelles jaw dropped, unable to believe that Robin had the gall to speak to her so callously.

"Is that so?! Well, how's this for advice?!"

She leaned into Robins ear, cupping her hand to whisper hurried words, causing Robin to drop her own jaw, a blush once again spreading across her cheeks.

"Maribelle! That's so...so..."

Maribelle grinned. "Soo incredible. And easy. Just tell him how to do it and you won't regret it."

Robin glanced around nervously. "Y-you're sure about it?"

Maribelle winked. "Men love it too."

"As much as it pains me to say it, I know exactly what she's talking about," relented Cordelia. "Do it."

Robin merely quirked an eyebrow in response.

"Ooh, yes! If it's what I think it is, that is..." Lissa giggled with little control.

"Alright, not another word out of you, Lissa. You're like my baby sister and I don't want to know..."

"Wait, what are we talking about?..." trailed Sumia, for some reason totally out of the loop. No one moved to answer her.

"Just trust me, Robin. It will open up new possibilities for the both of you. And when I say 'men love it', I mean 'he'll want to do it every time'." Maribelle nodded resolutely.

Without giving them a definite answer as to whether or not she would be taking their advice, Robin stood from her place in the bath and made her out, shivering when her warm skin made contact with the chill air that hung just outside of the steaming water. After drying herself with her given towel, she threw on her yukata, wrapping the sash around her waist like Anna had shown her, and headed for the stone path.

"Where're you going, Robin?" Lissa called.

Robin didn't answer.

She had barely made it back to the bathhouse when a familiar voice called after her.

"Hey! Wait up!"

He didn't even let her turn a full one-eighty before pressing behind her, arms wrapping tightly around her waist. She smiled.

"I was just looking for you." She said with a small laugh as she placed her own arms atop his, securing his hold on her.

"I've BEEN looking for you!" He said, nuzzling her hair. "I like your flower, by the way."

"It's cute, isn't it?" She replied.

Taking hold of his hands, she lifted them from her stomach and turned around to face him. He was dressed in a yukata of his own; charcoal black with a white design cascading down one side. Nowhere near as flashy as the women's, she noted.

"Have you been to the men's spring yet?"

"Yeah. Frederick kicked me out for being 'too rowdy'."

"Aww, what a meanie."

"Eh, I'd rather bathe with you than a bunch of burly men anyways, ahaha!"

"Hehe, of course you would." She smiled coyly to him, leading him away from the bathhouse and back down the path.

"Which one are we going to?"

"The women's."

"...Really?"

Robin stopped walking to flick him between his eyes. "No, you dolt! We're going to the Mixed bath!"

A grin of realization spread across his face as he laughed. "Oh, yeah!"

She rolled her eyes.

Upon entering the area of the mixed bath(it looked basically like the women's), she was surprised to find the pool deserted. Not a soul sat in the water, nor were they hidden in the steam. They had to bath completely to themselves.

"Huh, I wonder where everyone is?"

The corners of her mouth slowly turned upward when she realized how absolutely perfect that was.

"They're all probably shy about it being mixed, you know, men and women bathing together," she threw him a foxy smile. "Naked..." She finished seductively.

Henry caught on. "Ooh, I see..." He returned her smile with just as much gusto.

Without saying a word, they were on each other. Hugging tightly, hands roaming, kissing furiously. He slipped her yukata off her shoulders while she busied herself with untying his obi.

"You know, I learned a knew trick today." She told him between rough kisses, growing impatient when his obi would not come undone. "Gods, why won't this untie?!"

"Hehe, oh? What kind of trick?" The naughty expression on his face becoming wider at her revelation.

"A good one. I'll teach you."

They froze when they heard the sound of a throat being cleared.

"Umm..."

Still holding onto each other, they snapped their heads towards the spring, startled when they realized that they were in fact, not alone as they had first thought.

"Sorry to ruin your fun...but you didn't see me..."

Sitting off to the side in the water, steam rising heavily around him but still in plain sight, face redder than a beet, sat Kellam. With a squeal, Robin quickly pulled her yukata back over her shoulders, stepping away from Henry.

"K-Kellam! When did you get here?!"

"I've been here..."

Neither could look each other in the face, both far too embarrassed.

"Alone?" chirped Henry.

"My wife was supposed to meet me..."

"Oh. Well, if you'll forget what you saw just now, we'll join you!"

"Henry..." Robin said quietly, still blushing tremendously. "Can we please just leave?..."

"But we're already here. We'll keep old tinman company for a while, he'll eventually leave, and we'll have the place to ourselves again." With a devilish grin, he kissed the side of her head, prompting another squeal.

He stepped back, undid his yukata with ease, and tossed it to the side. With a towel wrapped around his waist, he jumped into the spring with an insane laugh, splashing Kellam in the process.

This was definitely NOT how she had imagined her day going. "Ughhh, what hell have I stumbled into..."

...

This was not easy because I'm shy:\


End file.
